Hector J. Rivera, Esquire

---

 Hector Jose Rivera was born in Brooklyn, New York. His father, a minister and his mother, a teacher, soon relocated to the Midwest where they raised their four children. Upon graduation from high school, Hector attended Indiana University earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Affairs and Criminal Justice Administration. He graduated with distinction. He was accepted into the Indiana University School of Law where he earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence. Upon graduating from law school, Hector Rivera became a litigation attorney for the City of Chicago Law Department.

A strong desire to serve his country led Mr. Rivera to the United States Navy where he was commissioned as an officer and became a valuable member of the Judge Advocate General Corps. Utilizing his strong litigation skills and ability to fluently speak English and Spanish, the Navy assigned him to a mobile trial team and was called to litigate cases in South America, The Republic of Panama and the Caribbean. He was assigned to the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico before being transferred to Treasure Island Naval Station in San Francisco, California. He continued to work as a trial attorney.

Hector Rivera’s military career was followed by a brief stint as a prosecutor in Orange County, Florida. It was then that he realized his true calling was to become a defense lawyer. He wanted to be an advocate and defender of individual liberties and constitutional rights for those charged with crimes. Mr. Rivera moved to Tampa where he opened his practice devoted exclusively to the defense of DUI, Drug and Traffic charges. For over 25 years, Mr. Rivera has practiced primarily in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties. He has also accepted referrals and been frequently called upon to defend cases all around the state of Florida.